Ringleader
by RandomObsessions123
Summary: When a new circus pops up and leaves corpses in its wake, the police send out their best to put a stop to it. The question is: Will they be seen again? ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE FOR SOME REPLANNING AND REWRITING!
1. Prologue - Winter - Present Day

**Twice in a day? Whoo!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own APH/Hetalia but I do own this plot bunny. :3**

 **Lemston, Oklahoma; Winter** ; **Present Day**

Alfred sat on the highest of his now rusted metal bleachers, his bright blue eyes surveying the once grand circus tent he called home. It was depressing to see how tattered and abandoned his home had become. The once vibrant blue and purple stripes had become faded. Holes filled the thinning fabric, though no light managed to filter through the twisted trees that surrounded the tent. He stood up; taking in the loud squeak the bleachers gave as he moved around.

"Fucking depressing." He muttered while ignoring the loud screams for mercy the bleachers gave as he moved down towards the center of the big top. There was a dim light in the center, coming from a single light bulb he had installed for such purposes. The light source provided just enough light to see the twins practicing their acrobatics.

The twins. Lovino and Feliciano Vargas. _His_ twins. He had adopted them after all. The two boys had grown up so well, so strong and agile, trained under his power. It was sad the two never truly got to experience the joy that was the circus. Making people laugh until they cried or scaring them until they pissed themselves. The only thing they got to experience was the long and steady decline in popularity. They witnessed their home become a desolate wasteland of lingering giggles. Nothing more than an urban legend from the nearby town. A place that local teens dared each other to come to and see if they could survive the night. It was so sad! His twins didn't deserve this! No one deserved such a fate of starvation!

They needed an audience. They needed to bring life back into their circus! He needed an event that would turn all eyes to their old-fashioned three-ring circus.

"We're going on tour!" He announced suddenly, startling the twins. Feliciano let out a startled but short-lived scream as he narrowly missed the swing and fell through the air, whimpering as his brother caught him by his ankle with a grunt.

"What the fuck do you mean, 'we're going on tour'?!" Lovino yelled, starting to swing back towards the platform. Alfred raised an amused eyebrow, humming softly.

"Exactly what it sounds like, Lovino. We're going on tour." He said once again, his eyes holding something sinister.

"A tour sounds like fun! We should do it!" Feliciano exclaimed, giggling as his brother finally managed to get them back onto the platform.

"Exactly!" Alfred said, glad someone understood his vision.

"Exactly, what? What are we talking about?" A curious new voice asked, Lovino growling in irritation. The new voice belonged to Matthew Williams, Alfred's half-brother and a former clown at the circus. He was a blonde pale innocent looking creature but had a deadly edge to him.

"This bastard suddenly thinks that going on tour is a good idea," Lovino muttered, starting to climb down the ladder to the ground below. Feliciano simply jumped from the platform, his bare feet making a cloud of dust as he landed.

"I think it is! The people! The festivities! You'll even get to perform!" Matthew said, smiling broadly. Lovino glared at him, not exactly impressed. Giggling, Feliciano bounced over to the clown.

"He's right, Lovi!" He chirped. "We'd get to perform and find new souls and victims! It'll be fun!" He was clearly as excited as Matthew, Alfred looking to Lovino with a smirk.

"Three to one, Lovi. We're going on tour! We just have to fix this place up and get some new people...all our old performers are dead." The ringleader said, his words tapering off as he started to think about their sudden dilemma. Matthew couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of people willing to make a deal with the devil."

 ***Not a real place**

 **To anyone that was/is following Call Me Crazy, I'm proud to announce that it is being properly rewritten!**


	2. Ch 1 - Summer - Yellow Springs, Ohio

**DEAR ANON** **: I'm honestly not sure if Alfred would be more sociopathic or psychopathic.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own any part of APH/Hetalia, or _There Was A Man of Double Deed_ , just the idea of this fanfic.**

 **Yellow Springs, Ohio;** **Summer, Modern Era**

Alfred's eyes lit up when he saw the large crowd filling the now well-oiled bleachers. It was the fifth day at their first stop on their tour and it was clear they had already made quite the impact in the small town. Their show gave the citizens something to do with their time. Day one had been filled with the shits and giggles a circus calls for. Matthew had fallen on his face after getting out of his tiny car, Arthur pulled rabbits from his hat and flowers and rabbits out of his sleeves, and Ivan's puppet show was absolutely adorable! The second day had brought curiosity, the third adding a sort of tension to the air and the fourth bringing fear. The fifth day had something sinister. It was Alfred's favorite day. The blonde hummed as he dusted off his clothes and stepped out onto the dirt floor in the center of his tent.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys 'n' Girls of all ages! Welcome to the Bedlam Circus!" His thick southern accent drenched the words, dragging them out and bringing the audience into a sort of security. "Tonight, we'll test the limits of your bravery and the strength of your mind! As the ringleader and host of your time here, allow me to issue a challenge!" Alfred allowed the crowd to agree with his idea, a smirk on his devilish features. "The bravest of you all will get a prize! That means no screams, no fear filled gasps, no tears." He commanded. "We're not here to make you laugh. We're here to make you scream!" A loud, terror filled scream filled the tent at the end of the American's speech, the spotlight having been turned on to reveal a flailing Feliciano falling from the acrobat platform. Lovino swung down towards him, grabbing his brother and stopping his fall. The eldest then safely landed on the other platform with his brother. Feliciano didn't at all look as scared as he sounded, the two wearing dark grins on their faces. The crowds let out a sigh of relief, the show just beginning.

The twins continued their performance, swinging on the trapeze and endangering their lives with their almost falls. The audience was eased into a sense of comfort almost, realizing that every time one fell, the other would catch him. Simple as that. A loud scream was heard, the relaxing patrons on high alert. Lovino was hurling towards the ground headfirst, his screams cut short all too quickly as he made contact with the dirt. Fearful audience members looked up at Feliciano, the younger brother swinging violently back and forth. His head almost hit the metal pole they had started at. He successfully got back onto the platform, though the audience didn't relax in the slightest. Despite the death of Lovino, Feliciano seemed quite calm as he bowed at the top of the platform. "He's not dead." "They'd do something if he was actually hurt." "That's fake blood…" The audience started to whisper to themselves, convincing themselves that surely the staff would be panicking if Lovino was truly hurt.

"I need a volunteer!" Matthew suddenly called out from the top of the seats. People looked up, attempting to find the clown but he was gone. "What about you?" The blond popped up behind a random patron. "Or you? Someone raise their hand!" He was at the center of the tent now, confused but excited audience members raising their hands. Matthew hummed, biting his lip as he picked out his newest toy. "You! Jackson Turner!" A young man stood up, dark brown hair and gray eyes, an odd combination surely. "My apologies. You prefer to be called Jack. Now come down here! Don't be scared!" Jackson came down the bleachers slowly after some prodding from his friends. His eyes darted around as if looking for a way out. Matthew appeared behind him, pushing him the rest of the way down. "There we are. Stand up. It's time for a story!" The hyperactive clown danced around happily as he waited for Jackson to get up and brush himself off. "All you have to do, Jackson is act out my tale. You can do that can't you?"

"Y-yeah...How do you know my name?" The brunette asked softly, Matthew staring at him. "N-nevermind. I'm ready." Matthew's smile was once again plastered on his face as he started to recite his tale:

 _"There was a man of double deed,_

 _Who sowed his garden full of seed;_

 _When the seed began to grow,_

 _'Twas like a garden full of snow;_

 _When the snow began to melt,_

 _'Twas like a ship without a belt;"_

Jackson was doing wonderfully, transitioning from a farmer to the captain of a ship flawlessly. There was a tense confusion in the room as Matthew continued his story. What was the clown going on about? Why would he recite such a ridiculous and seemingly nonsensical poem? Why use such old fashioned language?

" _When the ship began to sail,'_

 _'Twas like a bird without a tail;_ _W_

 _When the bird began to fly,_

 _'Twas like an eagle in the sky;_

Jackson glanced at Matthew warily, his arms held out as he pretended to be a bird. The brunette had gone from scared to confused to bored it seems.

 _"When the sky began to roar,_

 _'Twas like a lion at my door;_

Jackson crawled on all fours, growling loudly as he got further into his part. Matthew smiled, noting that his volunteer had relaxed considerably in his time with him. The clown disappeared silently, many focusing too much on Jackson to notice.

 _"When my door began to crack,_

 _'Twas like a stick across my back;_

 _When my back began to smart,_

Jackson stood up, pretending to peer into a door. His eyes widened suddenly, his lips parting in a pained gasp. The fear in his eyes was all too real as he whimpered. It was like a switch, a long thin stick that forced to sit up straight.

 _"When my back began to smart,_

 _'Twas like a penknife in my heart;"_

Jackson nearly screamed when Matthew suddenly appeared in front of him.. A small blade suddenly pierced his heart. He couldn't die from such a small wound. Right? Blood ran down his chest and stomach, Jackson whimpering as the blade in his chest was twisted. He saw the confusion and fear in the expressions of the audience. Were they going to help him? Why couldn't he run? The stain on the front of his crisp white shirt grew, blood starting to soak the hem of his pants and dripping to the ground.

 _And when my heart began to bleed,_

The knife was twisted further, his eyes wide and wet with unshed tears. The red blade was brought to his throat, pressing to his jugular vein.

 _Twas death_

The toothed edge was pressed into his skin, blood flowing from the wound.

 _and death,_

The blade was being dragged across his flesh, severing one of his most important veins. Why couldn't he run?! Why couldn't he run?!

 _"and DEATH INDEED!"_

He felt himself gag, Matthew's blade slitting his throat from ear to ear. His legs trembled beneath him, clutching at his throat as he finally regained the ability to move. Frenzied hands pressed harshly against the slippery wound, red soaking his hands. Horrified audience members watched for what felt like hours as his face paled. Time sped up again as he suddenly went limp, his frail body crumpling to the ground. Matthew did nothing as he stood there and watched his victim bleed out. With a smile, the clown turned to the audience. "The End!" He called out, disappearing again. The tent was completely silent. Were they meant to laugh? Who could even laugh at such a gruesome sight?

"Fake!" Some confident stranger called out. Fear outlined his words, a slight tremble in his voice. Matthew appeared behind him, a frown on his face. His amethyst eyes flashed, the poor man suddenly unable to speak. Matthew giggled manically again, disappearing once again. Alfred hummed as he returned to center stage, looking around in glee.

"Quite the show isn't it?" The question was rhetorical, people glancing at each other. Could they leave? Almost no one wanted to stay for the next act. "Up next, we have our lovely magician, Arthur Kirkland!" Alfred disappeared and in his place was a blonde man with intelligent jade eyes. Pink lips were pulled back into a devilish smirk.

"I see some familiar faces in the crowd tonight…" He said softly, taking in his audience. "Now sadly, I don't have an assistant. Who wants to take on the role?" By this point, people were becoming wary. Why should they volunteer for this potential madman? "You!" Arthur called out, holding out his hand towards a buxom blonde in the front row. "You're quite the beauty aren't you.?" He stated, the woman trembling as she stood up. Arthur gently grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. "Don't worry dear, I won't hurt you. You are my assistant remember?" He smiled. The girl was trembling but said nothing. Arthur kissed her cheek and everything changed as her eyes became glossy. "State your name, dear."

"Charlotte Evans." She smiled at the crowd, the people looking back worriedly.

"That's a beautiful name. Let's start this off with something simple. A simple disappearing trick." There were no props on stage, no box for the assistant to go into with a hidden trap door. It was simply Arthur, Charlotte, and the two corpses from previous acts. Arthur didn't even have a wand like he did the nights before. Instead, he just had his hands and his eerie glowing emerald eyes. An unearthly chill swept through the tent, many in the crowd shivering. Charlotte suddenly screamed, disappearing. It was obvious that the crowd was trying to understand. To decipher Arthur's simple trick. Charlotte reappeared at the top of the bleachers, her hazy blue eyes looking at nothing. "Come down to me," Arthur commanded, the girl doing as told. Arthur's magic act continued, all the while, the people terrified that Charlotte would lose her life like the others. However, despite Arthur's various tricks, none proved to be too dangerous and his last trick finished up without a hitch. His green eyes lost their glow and Charlotte was sent to her seat. The room was silent, everyone giving her periodic glances. Would she suddenly fall over dead?

"This is quite the show isn't it ladies and gentlemen?" Alfred called out as he appeared from the top of the bleachers and pulled everyone from their thoughts. Some simply looked back at him, others much too scared to meet his gaze. What was the ringleader going to do now? The tension and fear were near tangible as he practically floated down the stairs. "This is the Fear Break." He stated, inquisitive blue eyes scanning the crowd. Some tried to put on a brave face as they met his gaze evenly. Others openly showed their fear, trembling in their seats and finding the ground very interesting. "If you're too scared to go on with the final act of the show, you have exactly one minute to escape." The loud ticking of a clock could suddenly be heard echoing in the tent. "My, what a brave crowd!" The blonde called out, appearing in the center of the tent. Eyes widened in a terrified excitement. They could escape! They could leave! Crowds of people ran for the exit, squeezing out any way they could. "Thirty seconds," Alfred called out, the ticking of the invisible clock only growing louder. The chime of a grandfather clock was heard. As the minute ended, only the stupid, the brave, and the unfortunate remained. "And now, the final act," Alfred said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

In his place was Ivan. A tall and childish looking man, the large smile plastered to his face terrified those in the audience. 'Good evening." His words were soft, empty of emotion. His glowing violet eyes held a sadistic glee, the Russian reveling in the fear that patrons exhibited. What was this madman planning to do? With a flick of the wrists, the all but forgotten corpse of Jackson Turner started to twitch. The people watched, some whimpering openly. Lovino's corpse twitched as well. Slowly but surely, the corpses came to life. Their eyes opened, their palms pressing into the dirt and pushing upwards. The man before them had just awoken the dead. Were they zombies? Monsters? No. It had to be an act! Corpses don't just get up! They watched as Lovino's head lolled to the side courtesy of a broken neck. Jackson's body was hunched; Matthew's stab wound having severed more than just skin. Ivan simply flicked his wrists towards the crowd, sending the two former corpses towards the people. A scream was released from a woman in the front row as Jackson's cold, dead hands wrapped around her throat. People started to flee, running for the exit as fast as they could. There was one problem: They couldn't leave.

Alfred couldn't help but laugh, his eyes flashing as he opened his invisible door. Their paying customers spilled out and Alfred watched as Ivan released his control of the corpses. "Fuck...Feli's getting controlled next time." Lovino muttered, his long fingers gently touching the back of his head. Despite the dried blood crusted around the wound, it was healing properly enough. Jackson's corpse simply crumpled to the ground in a tangle of limbs. The tent was empty now, the three remaining in their places.

"Fratello! That was so much fun!" Feliciano ran out from under the bleachers and nearly tackled his brother in a hug. The excitable Italian giggled, looking up at Alfred and getting off of Lovino to hug the blonde. "Where's our next stop?" He asked.

"I'll tell you but right now, we need to eat." Alfred gestured under the bleachers again, Arthur coming over with Charlotte in his grasp.

 **I finished! I finally finished! This is my longest first chapter to date at 2,452 words! :-) *happy dance***


	3. Ch 2 - Arrival - Jersey City, New Jersey

**I KNOW NOTHING OF RADIO CODES BUT I TRIED MY BEST!**

 ***Ahem* Dear Anon: Please read my profile. It explains why I have made the Italians twins rather than their canon 2 year age difference.**

 **So, as much as I'd love to be able to bump it up to update every week, anyone who's read my stories know that I tend to update when I remember that I have a story. So my current goal for this story is to update at least twice a month. So...yeah. Also, this is a very filler-y chapter...starting now**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own any part of APH/Hetalia. I do own the plot bunny behind this story.**

 **Two Weeks Later; Yellow Springs, Ohio**

"Oh God…." The officer and his partner were otherwise silent as they finished making their way through the trees. It was a strange sight. There was a clear circle outlined by the thick forestry, the former home of the circus tent. There weren't tire tracks for the trailers of the performers, nor was there any indication of where the circus had gone. There were only two pieces of evidence that the circus was even there. The circle... And her.

The weary officers made their way forwards, their boots leaving prints on discarded flyers as they made their way towards the naked corpse of what used to be a woman. She lay in the center of the circle and from afar she almost looked as if she was sleeping in the 'starfish' position.

"You think it's her?" His voice was barely above a whisper as if the woman truly was asleep rather than deceased.

The two walked closer still and the sight of the corpse shattered the sleeping illusion. It was clear that she was indeed a mangled mess. "It has to be…" His partner muttered darkly, through fear caused his usually strong and confident voice to waver.

The first officer knelt down next to the corpse on one knee, resisting the urge to gag at the stench that wafted from it. His body was tense; trembling slightly as if the corpse would suddenly rise up and attack him like Jackson Turner had done three weeks prior. "What did they do to her?" His tone was that of astonished disgust. The corpse had obviously been there for at least a week, the body bloated and the nose and mouth covered in congealed bloody foam. She was completely naked, missing chunks of meat from every part of her body and exposing bones that barely remained tied together with their frayed ligaments. Her eyes were completely gone, leaving empty blood crusted sockets behind. Her blonde hair was stained a rustic brown, something that he could only pray was just blood. It was a miracle that she had all her limbs, even if with them it was still barely recognizable as a human being. "They ate her…." He clamped a hand over his mouth, feeling bile burn his throat at the realization while his eyes watered terribly. He was going to be sick.

"Or it was the mutts around here." He looked up at the other man, his partner's face something else to focus on aside from the corpse of Ms. Charlotte Evans. The words were some form of comfort, a way to assure him that there couldn't have possibly been cannibalism at the circus. He wasn't so sure. "Either way, we have to report it." His standing partner stated matter-of-factly. He watched as the other made his way back to the car through the trees. There was a silent command from the retreating man to stay put, something the left behind officer really didn't want to do. He bit his lip and stood up and stepping away from the corpse.

"The dogs didn't do this. I just know it."

 **Paramount High School; Jersey** **City, New Jersey**

"This is different." Alfred mused, smiling as he looked up at the stone seats from the center of the stadium. The fourth stop of their tour was in New Jersey, a place that held more infrastructure than the wooded areas Alfred preferred. The twisted and gnarled trees added to the atmosphere after all. Still, he managed to get a venue that was outdoors: a high school football field.

"I'm sure it is, sir." His assigned guide chuckled. "I'm the Sports Administrator here and I'm supposed to help you with anything you or your performers need." He said with a pleasant smile. If he were, to be honest with himself, he was scared of the ringleader. Their circus just appeared. They never announced their arrival, people just knew where to find them. They had arrived with no trailers, no advertisement in their city and he wasn't exactly excited that his place of work was their chosen venue. "You sure this okay? Don't your trapeze guys need poles or something?" He asked, simply to be courteous.

Alfred waved him off, humming softly as he looked around once again. "No need. Your goal posts will do." He could make this work and with a stadium full of people, it would be much, much harder to escape him on day five.

"Our goal posts?" The administrator looked at the large yellow forks, an eyebrow raised. "You sure about that?"

Alfred nodded, imagining the twins making a spectacle of themselves with the metal poles. "I'm sure. I have faith in my boys after all." Alfred made his way back to the bleachers, easily jumping the guardrail between him and the stands before making his way towards the top. The administrator stood there in slight astonishment at Alfred's abilities before making his way to the gate. "I'm taking a guess that you really liked that contract I gave you," Alfred called down to him as he continued his ascent.

"Forty percent of profits? It's a big cut." The administrator said simply. His tone made it plain and simple: Alfred and his crew could have been filming a snuff film and the school would've still signed the contract. Alfred chuckled, shaking his head at the bluntness of the human. "Is there anything else you need?" The man inquired. Alfred had stopped at the top of the bleachers looking over the field once again. He could make this work, he was sure of it. Finally, he shook his head. "Alright then, call me tomorrow and I'll let you in to set up. Oh, and the name's Rick by the way. Go ahead and show yourself out." Alfred made a mental note of the name and smiled at the man before showing himself out the gate.

The next day, Alfred came back with his performers. There was clear confusion at the choice of venue, specifically for the twins. "What are we going to do while you perform?" Feliciano finally asked.

"You will perform as usual. I've trained for more than just the trapeze." Alfred stated calmly as he gestured to the ends of the field. The notion simultaneously confused and excited the twins.

"How?" Feliciano asked softly, the slight waver in his tone betraying his otherwise calm exterior.

"I expect you two to use the ribbons."

"On the fucking goal posts?" Lovino's eyes held a childlike excitement, only making Alfred smile. Lovino was always excited about these types of things, even when he was human.

"Yes, on the goal posts." He responded, hearing a soft whimper from the lighter twin. The other two looked at him.

"But we've never used the ribbons before!" Alfred looked at him while Lovino rolled his eyes. Honestly, if not for Lovino, Alfred was sure the younger twin would've been dead. "Why not jus-"

"You'll do it because I said so." Alfred cut in sharply, his eyes flashing red. Feliciano went quiet, his own amber eyes downcast. What was the worst that could happen after all? "You'll start the show like normal, and one or both of you will die on Day 5." Alfred's tone left no room for arguments and his blue eyes searched the boys' faces to see if they would dare try. Neither of the twins had anything to say aside from 'yes sir'.

Rick watched the exchange from afar, biting his lower lip when he felt Ivan's violet eyes stare at him. "I just gotta ask," He whispered to himself while he tightened the ropes on Ivan's puppet from his spot near the top of the bleachers. It was a large puppet, nearly the size of a small child. With its bright blue eyes, glasses, and neatly combed blond hair, it honestly creeped him out. Especially with knowing that the puppet would likely be a human by the fifth day. For reasons he couldn't quite wrap his head around, the circus had gathered quite the following online. The morbid show had been called everything from cursed to staged, specifically the shocking fifth night. With such darkness following the show around, many more people were flocking to see the spectacle. Followers had even issued a challenge: could you survive all five nights? Like Five Nights at Freddy's, challengers were expected to come to all five nights of the show and avoid getting picked off by Alfred and his 'family'. It baffled Rick that anyone would participate in such a challenge. "Aren't children supposed to obey their parents?" He murmured softly.

"I guess so, yeah." Alfred chuckled as Rick jumped from where he stood nearby, having climbed up the bleachers to supervise the setup. "I'm not deaf. What's your question?"

"Aren't you worried about the police shutting you guys down for investigation or something with all these bodies piling up?" Rick's dark gray eyes watched for Alfred's reaction, widening in surprise as Alfred answered without missing a beat.

"Not at all. Only Ms. Evans was confirmed dead just yesterday. The other three are merely missing. It's depressing honestly. But I'm sure if they honestly thought we were behind it, they would've already shut us down." Alfred was eerily calm, his response sounding ever so slightly rehearsed. Rick shook his head. He was probably just being paranoid.

"That's a fucked up coincidence." He muttered to himself with a sigh. He didn't understand how Alfred could be so calm about the circumstances.

"Go help Feliciano." Alfred's command startled him, but he jumped up without question. The sooner he got away from Alfred, the better.

 **I did it! I finished chapter 2!**


	4. Ch 3 - Day 1 - Jersey City, New Jersey

**Senior year, college prep, and work are whooping my butt. That's all I got.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I still don't own APH/Hetalia**

 **Paramount High School; Jersey City, New Jersey; Opening Night**

"Are we live?" The reporter asked softly, sweeping her black hair behind her ear with a shaky hand. Her entire being was trembling, despite it being over ninety degrees, and she pulled her blazer even tighter around her frame. She knew they were watching, standing behind her and wondering, no, knowing what she was doing. She received a silent nod from the cameraman. The woman took a deep breath, and setting her thin lips into a grim line, started her report. "We apologize for interrupting your scheduled programming for this special report. The corpse of Charlotte Doyle, a patron at Bedlam Circus' first show in Yellow Springs, was found dead early yesterday morning. According to police reports, her body was mutilated and appeared to have been consumed. The infamous Bedlam Circus is supposed to be opening their doors to the public in just an hour, but due to this case and the remaining missing persons from other locations the circus has been, everyone's advised to stay away from the circus during its time here in Jersey City. I repeat: all are advised to stay away from this circus. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming," Her trembling worsened as the camera stopped recording and she spared a glance behind her. Cerulean blue eyes stared back at her and she swore she saw them flash red. Biting her lip, she hurried away with her crew.

Alfred raised an eyebrow at the hasty retreat of the woman and news team that was stationed in front of the school. In front of his circus. These humans were going great lengths to prevent his show from having a large turnout. It's shameful, rude really. Perhaps these were simply the 'smart' humans. The ones that knew better than to come to his show, but still had nothing better to do than follow his whereabouts. "You aren't nervous are you?" Arthur mused from behind him; the coy smile on his face was near audible. Alfred turned to him, his hardened blue eyes flashing once again before he returned to his smiling mask.

"Of course I'm not nervous, Arthur," The ringleader walked past him and headed down towards the field. "We always come out on top," Arthur rolled his eyes at the display and followed the ringleader down the bleachers. Everyone was getting into position, looking for all the world like a family-friendly circus.

"Why do we go through the trouble? Why not just take them?" Arthur asked, his tone almost accusatory. "We have the power. Humans don't give a damn about each other after a while. Just look at the twins. Bloody hell, look at me," He huffed, speaking of his own past, a rarity.

Alfred honestly didn't care, knowing all about Arthur. He scoffed but didn't stop his casual stride down the steps. "We go through the trouble because it's fun." He could hear Arthur's footsteps stop, followed closely by muttered curses as he once again questioned Alfred's sanity. Alfred stopped as well, but didn't turn around. "If you want out, I could always get rid of you. Put you where you belong." There was a beat of silence as Arthur stiffened in fear. Alfred simply smirked and resumed his stride towards the field while Arthur freed himself of the chills running up and down his spine. Alfred hummed as he finally stepped onto the turf. Everyone else simply scattered around him with last minute changes. He headed towards the visitor side of the field, home to their makeshift dressing rooms.

"What the fuck are you doing back here?" Lovino asked as the blond entered, buttoning up his vest. Alfred raised an eyebrow as he heard the voice, grabbing his black top hat from a rack. Lovino never was fond of dressing in front of others, even after all these years.

"Getting dressed like the rest of you. Is that so wrong?" His eyes searched Lovino for a reaction while he put on his red and purple jacket. It was so happy the first day. They even started early for the sake of the kiddies' bedtimes. It was sickening.

Ivan smiled as he walked by, clapping Alfred on the back. "Thirty minutes." He said simply, his violet eyes darting towards the brothers before he was gone as quickly as he came.

Alfred glared briefly at the Russian, his eyes flashing red for the third time as he brushed off his shoulder. Feliciano noticed but didn't dare point it out. Whatever was bothering Alfred would surely be fixed by the end of the week. It was likely just the meddling humans after all. Alfred didn't have to worry too much. He always won.

 **Jersey City Police Station**

"This isn't going to end well." The officer mumbled as she spun slowly in her chair, listening to the reporter's desperate pleads for the citizens to stay away. "They're just going to do what they always do."

"And no one can stop them." Her co-worker added, sighing softly as he gave a hopeless glance at the small television on the wall.

"Can't we shut them down or something? They're killing people right in front of the audience! That has to mean something, right?" She asked as she stopped her spinning to stare at her more experienced co-worker.

"Those people always get back up at the end of the show. They've likely planted audience members." He shrugged again, a motion that infuriated her. "We gave a warning to the people. It's their own fault if they don't listen." She glared at him, the other simply shrugging once again. It was the truth after all.

"What about people like Turner? Evans? Ross? Coleman?" She pried, unable to understand how he could be so calm.

"Linda," The older man paused to cough, the aforementioned Linda rolling her eyes. "Only two have been found. The others are still lost and the only connection they ha-"

"WE HAVE A HOMICIDE ON COLONEL ROUTE." The two officers stared at the radio as it crackled to life, one with surprise and the other with disdain.

"That's right outside!" Linda hurried to grab her things, glancing back at the older man. He took his time getting up, infuriating the woman further. Growling in annoyance, she turned and hurried on her way. "Greg!" She yelled at the other, the older man finally listening. "Just retire already." She huffed, disappearing out the door.

Linda didn't have to go far, with the station being located on Colonel Route. Surely someone who would commit murder that close to the station was an idiot, and be easy to find, right?

"Linda! Be careful!" The yelling made her skid to a stop, her glacier blue eyes wide with fear and annoyance as she looked at the culprit. "He's right there." The other said evenly. Linda looked down, meeting the glazed dark brown eyes of a corpse. It took all of her might not to scream, forcing her gaze away from his dull eyes. His skin was a splotchy brown color, the corpse having obviously been shifted from its original position, whatever that was. It was bloated, completely nude.

"Kyle Ross." She whispered breathlessly, her heart hammering in her chest. Kyle had been missing for two weeks, having gone to the infamous Day 5 when the circus was visiting his small town of Ellingwood, Michigan. No one knew what horrors the fourteen year old had seen that night. His friends were with him, the group promising to stay together. Yet, they still ended up separated, and Kyle was Alfred's chosen victim. It was a baffling case. "W-why is he out here?" She tried so hard to steady her voice, only failing miserably as she tried to talk around the knot that had formed in her throat.

"They wanted to leave a message." The other officer showed her a bloodstained note before reaching into his pocket and taking out a pair of latex gloves. Linda was unable to hide her horrified disgust, but she took the offered gloves.

"Have you already read it?" She asked softly, carefully unfolding it.

"Yeah, but it makes no sense. Not that a note from those crazy fuckers would." He sighed, glancing at the body. "We don't even know how he was killed."

"That's what the M.E is for, Jonah." Linda sighed, looking at the note. "You're in over your head?" She read the note aloud, biting her lip as she looked at the other. They weren't wrong. The police were not any closer now than they were four weeks ago. "This is it?"

"Yeah, that's it. No gloating, no crazed scribbles about a dead loved one making them do it, no plead for help. Just that." Jonah sighed, running his hand through his long brown hair. "They're taunting us."

"But they're right." Linda sighed. "We're in way over our heads. I'm sure the FBI will get involved, they always do in cases like this." There was an unspoken command in the air.

"I'll get the paperwork." Jonah ran off, leaving Linda to help the others clean up the scene.

 **Bedlam Circus; Show Time**

The sun was only just starting its descent when the people started to file into the stadium. The smell of concessions filled the air, many people stopping to get a pre-show snack. Alfred smiled, watching them from the other side before he turned to the group of performers gathering behind him "I'm going to let Arthur and Matthew go first." He said, looking at each of them calmly. Upon receiving various levels of agreement, the ringleader simply smiled and nodded. "Good, I'll give the audience a few more moments to get in here. It'll be Arthur, Matthew, the twins, and Ivan will be last as usual,"

"How will all those people see us?" Arthur asked, fiddling with his white gloves.

"The school has allowed us to use their jumbotrons," Alfred stated easily, though it was clear to all present that he was rather tense.

"Relax bastard, they're all humans. They don't stand a goddamn chance," Lovino smirked. Alfred just grunted, turning his back and watching. Almost five minutes later, he stepped out.

The stadium went silent as Alfred stepped onto the field. He walked down the fifty yard line, everyone leaning in to watch him. There was mild confusion, the people having expected something of a spectacle. "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Bedlam Circus!" Alfred's booming voice came over the loud speakers of the press box. Somewhere in the crowd, a baby started to wail. Alfred tensed but didn't let his smile drop. "We'd like to thank Paramount High School for allowing us to use their beautiful football field!" There was a pause for applause. "Bathrooms, concessions, and exits are at the top of the stands. And now," There was cloud of colorful smoke, bright lights circling to the top of the press box where Alfred now stood. "Let the show begin!"

 ***leaves this here* *slinks back to hole in the ground***


	5. Ch 4 - Day 1 - After The Show

**Chapter 4! *Bounces happily* Good news! I have officially reached the status of COLLEGE FRESHMAN! I also got a new laptop and somewhat steady internet! Classes just started and I'm already tired.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own APH/Hetalia**

 **Paramount High School; After the Show**

 _Hey, losers! It's the Amazing Gil!_ Gilbert leaned against the fence outside of the football field, the albino being one of the few lingering around the stadium after the show. He stared intently at his phone, typing the words into his blog post as fast as he could, figuring he could edit it later. _You already know I'm in New Jersey, but guess what? So is the Bedlam Circus. The first night was so BORING!_ He paused. Was that the right way to describe it? Boring? No, it wasn't boring as much as it was sickly sweet. Everything was tailored to children, childish jump scares and all. Then again, the stories said it started out that way. So, the first night was exactly as expected. _At least to me, it was boring. It's supposed to be though. If you live under a rock or you're un-awesome, let the awesome me explain:_ Gilbert paused, the words in his brain coming to a screeching halt as his phone started to vibrate in his hand.

He sighed, glaring at the Caller ID. Of all the people that had to call when he was on a writing high, it had to be his brother. He slid his thumb upwards, putting the phone to his ear. "The Awesome Gil speaking," He smirked at the audible sigh that Ludwig gave him. It always gave him some sort of satisfaction.

"Please tell me you didn't go to that circus," The statement stunned Gilbert. The next question in any conversation the two brothers had was usually 'Why do you still call yourself that?' Still, Gilbert just shrugged.

"I've been following it since it started, figured I'd give the challenge a shot," The albino let his legs lead him to a nearby bench.

"A challenge that's left people dead! How stupid ca-"

"How did you even know I was at the circus?" Gilbert decided to cut off his brother's passive-aggressive worrying. He had heard it all before.

"I read your blog. You're in New Jersey, the circus is in New J-"

"I get it," Ruby red eyes glanced at the cloudy night sky, asking whatever deity was available to end this conversation as soon as possible. There was a moment of silence as Ludwig sighed once again with exasperation. "You can hang up now," Gilbert stated upon realizing his brother had nothing more to say. He was fine with that. He had nothing more to say either.

"Ja. Jus-"

"Don't do anything stupid. I know," Gilbert hung up, his grip tightening on his phone. If it wasn't so expensive, he might've thrown it. Taking a deep breath, he decided to continue his blog post. _If you live under a rock or you're un-awesome, let the awesome me explain: The Bedlam Circus sprang up from literally nowhere in Yellow Springs, OH about a month ago and they only stay for five nights. The first is cute. The second is family friendly. The third is fun. The fourth is scary, and on the fifth, some swear Alfred opens a portal to Hell itself. Not only that, but they've left a corpse or two in every location._

 _I went to the first night tonight and if you're expecting it to be cute and child-friendly, you'd be right. It was sickening, fucking sickening! There were candy and dancing clowns. And not a single one of those fuckers looked like Pennywise. I'm excited to see how this:'_ He made a note to place some sort of picture there that would explain what he had seen. _'Is supposed to become this:_ He made another note for a scarier picture.

The time in the corner of the screen told him that the bus will be making its last round in just a few minutes and Gilbert wasn't in the mood to walk all the way back to his hotel. It was dark, quiet, and his headphones were dead, which meant that he'd be left alone with his thoughts. He didn't want to be alone with those. He let his feet take over, guiding him to the bus stop while he checked his follower count. While his brother saw the circus as dangerous, he found it refreshing. Gilbert's blog usually followed horror movies and urban legends. However, Bedlam was real, and while it wasn't exactly a healthy obsession, he wasn't going to let up on his research now. The circus had helped his follower count skyrocket, as he not only followed the circus itself like the others, but he dug into the performers' pasts. He posted what little he found onto his other social media outlets, seeing he never had enough to make a proper post.

The albino looked up as the bus pulled to a screeching halt at the curb. He took his time standing, making his way to the driver and paying his toll. The driver just grunted, and Gilbert found himself doing the same. The joys of riding the bus versus a taxi; he didn't have to talk to anyone. Flopping into a seat, he opened the notepad on his phone to look over what he had. Not that he had any notes that made sense to him.

According to his internet scraps, Alfred seemed to have appeared for the first time in 1778, as a soldier in the American Revolution. Both sides had stories of an Alfred Jones or an Alfred Kirkland, and both men had the same description and the same mischievous disposition. He appeared again in 1812, though that time he seemed to be more of a nuisance to the soldiers than anything. Alfred Frederick Jones appeared in the 1940s, writing a satirist column in the local paper of whatever town he appeared in. Much like his circus today, he simply appeared in various towns.

Gilbert closed the notes app somewhat aggressively, groaning lowly. Reading up on Alfred was enough to make his head spin. He didn't know what to believe, seeing as there was no way that Alfred Frederick Jones was the same Alfred that was running Bedlam. The Alfred of Bedlam looked barely twenty. It was much the same for the others. Finding their names was easy enough, but beyond that, it was insanity. He could write a rant on that alone. Bedlam's aerialists shared the same names as two missing Italian kids from the 1960s while the magician shared his name with an infamous pirate. Gilbert just groaned again, deciding to scroll to a game in an effort to relax.

It was official. Freelance writing made for little pay. The hotel Gilbert was staying at lacked a working elevator, and the one that did work swayed in its shaft. That left the blogger going up the stairs to the fourth floor upon arriving at his final stop. He looked at his phone again, surprised to see that it was only eleven-thirty. He had thought it would be later. Yawning softly, Gilbert pulled his key out and scanned it. He would normally stay up far later than the current time, but heading to bed seemed like the best idea right then. He sat on the bed, grabbing his laptop from his bag. He pulled up his saved draft, placing pictures where he said he would and typing up his final thoughts. "Ta-da." He mumbled dryly to the empty space around him. Gilbert closed the computer, placing it on the wobbly nightstand next to the dust-covered Bible before lying down to sleep.

 **Bolding, Pennsylvania; Shadow Ridge Apartments**

Ludwig groaned softly, doing his best to ignore the call of his bed. It was still made from that morning, the sheets tucked in and the pillows fluffed. It would be so nice to lie on those pillows, he just knew it would. Of course, he couldn't lie down just yet. He had been staring at a bright white computer screen in a pitch black room for the last three hours. Almost a dozen tabs were open at the top the screen, each of them displaying what limited information there was about the circus and its performers. Ludwig rubbed at his blue eyes, stifling a yawn as he pushed escaped blonde strands back in their place. He paused to stare up at the dark ceiling, watching the ceiling fan spin as his eyes adjusted to the dark. He ran his large hands over his face, once again stifling a yawn. Finally, he let his bloodshot eyes zero back in on the screen, specifically the name of the circus.

Bedlam. The circus had truly chosen the perfect name for itself. Alfred and his troupe had raised Cain all over the Eastern United States and he was sure they'd soon make their way to the west. The Bureau had called him around nine pm. Their commands were simple. Do his research and pack his bags. He would receive a file upon arriving at whatever location they sent him to. He had a bad feeling about the upcoming mission if he were honest. Anything could happen, especially if Alfred was as crazed as the stories made him out to be.

Ludwig realized his mind had wandered far off from the task he was meant to be doing. Standing up, the German took his aching muscles and lack of focus as a cue to go to sleep. He had to clean up his mess first or it'd drive him crazy. Quietly putting his laptop in its bag and placing it next to the neatly packed suitcase, Ludwig went to brush his teeth and pack up his remaining toiletries. Ludwig said a quick prayer for Gilbert's safety as he got dressed for bed and after a few more minutes of prep, he climbed into bed.


End file.
